PSA: Weight Loss Is Contagious In Couples, Study Says

If a loved one is looking to lose a few kgs, research has found that you’re likely to lose weight too, even if you’re not actually trying to.

The study, published in Obesity, tracked the weight loss progress of 130 couples over a six month period. They discovered that when one person in the partnership committed to getting in shape, approximately one third of the participants significant others also lost three percent or more of their body weight without intervention.

The study’s lead author, University of Connecticut Professor and behavioural psychologist Amy Gorin, called it a “ripple effect.”

“When one person changes their behaviour, the people around them change,” Gorin said. “Whether the patient works with their healthcare provider, joins a community-based, lifestyle approach like Weight Watchers, or tries to lose weight on their own, their new healthy behaviours can benefit others in their lives.”